Upcoming Mass Effect DLC and sequel info revealed

Bioware has revealed some new details about what's in store for Mass Effect. …

Fans of Bioware's excellent sci-fi epic RPG Mass Effect now have even more reason to look forward to the game's sequel: while it will continue the story established in the first game, players will also be able to carry over saved characters from the original game.

As a part of the game's Platinum Hits edition, the second game disc features a number of extras like art galleries, trailers, and a documentary titled "The Future of Mass Effect." The documentary actually focuses on a couple of different topics, including upcoming downloadable content for Mass Effect and plans for the eventual sequel. The DLC will actually have Commander Shepard arriving on a "casino, gaming, Fight Club, space station," though not much more information has been revealed.

Project director Casey Hudson mentions what is sure to be the most attention-grabbing detail about Mass Effect 2 in the documentary. "Any saved game that you make for Mass Effect 1... you should be able to carry that same character into Mass Effect 2."
Meanwhile, it was revealed further into the documentary that player
decisions from the first game will affect how events unfold in the
sequel.

Something very similar was used in the Knights of the Old Republic series, where certain actions in the first game impacted what happened with the second game. If nothing else, this gives fans of the series more of a reason to pick up the sequel; continuing the story of a character you have created and then grown attached to is a good incentive to keep playing.